Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post. This time, we’ll be doing some speculating about what characters in non-Marvel franchises might be worthy to wield Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. The concept of a character being truly “worthy” of mythical power is a fascinating one that has been used in storytelling for centuries. Oftentimes, characters are good but flawed, unable to be considered worthy of some higher honor due to their past sins. A select few, however, rise to the top to create truly respected and revered characters that endure for years. I’ve picked ten franchises and will discuss what one character from each franchise would be worthiest to rule Asgard. These musings are simply my opinions, so please don’t flame me if you disagree. With that said, let’s get started!
First, it’s important to try and define what makes one worthy of Mjölnir. This is never explicitly stated in the comics or films, but we can make some reasonable assumptions from Thor’s adventures as well as using general knowledge of Viking mythology. Per Thor’s numerous appearances, it’s clear one must have a heroic and self-sacrificing spirit to be worthy, as seen in the 2011 film Thor. In Age of Ultron, Thor states that anyone who can wield it gains the right to rule Asgard, meaning Mjölnir must also be judging an individual’s worthiness as a potential king or queen. This includes their wisdom and leadership capabilities, as seen when Steve Rogers eventually wields the hammer, but I think there’s more at play than just wisdom. Viking culture always venerates warrior-kings who relish the thrill of combat yet are also just – willing to use deadly force, but only when necessary. A familiarity with magic doesn’t hurt one’s chances of being worthy, even if it isn’t a requirement, and would help one be more quickly proficient with Mjölnir’s powers. Finally, one must attain a measure of enlightenment regarding one’s flaws. So, we have enlightenment, self-sacrifice, wisdom, leadership, the heart of a warrior, and the ability to kill when it’s just. Seems like a pretty good basis for worthiness to me. Now, let’s dive into our various universes and see who’s as worthy as Thor and who, like Wayne and Garth, is just not worthy.
DC Comics
The most logical place to start is in Marvel’s chief competitor, and the most logical candidates are the big three – Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. All are self-sacrificing, wise, and have strong leadership as founding members of the Justice League. However, both Superman and Batman are edged out in the other two traits, as Wonder Woman has an absolute warrior-queen’s spirit. Additionally, she is far less hampered by the use of deadly force when necessary, something the other two are known to shy away from. It’s understandable since both Bats and Supes are well aware of their darker sides should killing become the norm. Diana, on the other hand, knows her strength and herself. Using deadly force when necessary won’t corrupt her like it would her teammates. Honestly, of all the characters I plan on discussing today, Wonder Woman is the most like Thor of anyone. Hell, if they were in the same franchise, it’d be a match made in heaven! But yeah, this is an easy one.
Winner: Wonder Woman
Avatar – The Last Airbender
I adore the Avatar franchise for a multitude of reasons, but one of the biggest is the amazing cast of characters. But which of them would be worthy to wield Mjölnir? At first, one might think of one of the primary Avatars, Aang or Korra, but both are held back by their faults, namely Aang’s survivor’s guilt and Korra’s self-doubt. While they certainly could be worthy, I believe the worthiest character is Iroh, the Dragon of the West. Remember, flaws don’t necessarily prevent someone’s worthiness, but they must face those flaws, overcome them if possible, and accept them if they can’t. Iroh is the very embodiment of this, where both Aang and Korra still have growth ahead of them. Once a military general who took joy at the prospect of burning a city to the ground, Iroh quit his campaign after losing his son in battle. The years following his loss would mold him into one of the most enlightened characters in the franchise. He’s a wise leader in the Order of the White Lotus, bringing together master warriors from all nations for the good of the world. He also never lost his warrior’s spirit, instead learning the proper direction to point his righteous fury. And self-sacrificing? He allowed himself to be captured in the face of his nephew’s betrayal, allowing Aang to escape and providing the chance for his nephew’s eventual redemption. Iroh is most certainly worthy to rule Asgard.
Winner: Iroh
The Matrix
The Wachowskis created a transcendent sci-fi world on the big screen, and it resonated with audiences big time. Some of my favorite parts are the fantasy, religious, and mythological themes and elements they wove into the story. First of all, we have to consider the worthiness of Neo, the One himself. I would think that alone counts for something as far as Mjölnir is concerned. That said, another strong contender is Neo’s teacher, Morpheus. Both are fearsome combatants in the Matrix, able to bend the computer system to their will better than nearly any other character. The only way Neo is able to constantly outperform Morpheus in combat is due to his status as the One, while Morpheus is a self-made warrior at heart. They also are known for their selflessness, placing themselves in harm’s way for others multiple times. And as dangerous as the Matrix is, willingness to kill isn’t an issue for them. This ultimately comes down to leadership. For most of the franchise, Morpheus has Neo beat in that regard. Not only does Morpheus command his crew with exceptional skill, but he inspires those around him with little effort. He believes in them, which makes them believe in him. By the very end of Revolutions, however, it’s possible Neo has overtaken Morpheus with the last bit of enlightenment he gained in his final duel with Smith. It’s a super close contest, and both could be worthy, but I’ll give the slight edge to Morpheus’ body of work
Winner: Morpheus
The Dresden Files
Jim Butcher has truly crafted the gold standard in urban fantasy novels since he began this series. I’m a huge fan of the magic system, as well as the highly fleshed-out and believable characters. While Harry Dresden, the protagonist, is relatable and powerful, he isn’t even close to being worthy. Dresden, for all the good he does, has skirted dangerously close to being corrupted by dark powers on multiple occasions. Like Johnny Cash, he walks the line. No, the worthiest character in this franchise is one without an ounce of magic – Karrin Murphy. Karrin, or Murph for short, is a top detective in the Chicago Police Department and often works with Dresden on his cases. Despite her lack of powers, she regularly puts herself in danger for her friends and the general population. Dresden himself uses his Wizard’s Sight to see her true spirit as that of a warrior angel, fearsome and just to the end. Not even the holy warriors known as the Knights of the Cross can come anywhere close to Murph in terms of worthiness. As an aside, there is both an Odin and a Thor in Dresden’s universe, meaning it’s quite possible we could see the answer to this question in a future book. I sure hope so!
Winner: Karrin Murphy
Dragon Ball
Easily the most popular anime franchise here in America, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, Goku, has numerous similarities to Superman. Both are aliens from a foreign world who adopt Earth as their home and use their incredible power to protect it. But while Superman is held back by his refusal to use deadly force, Goku is willing to kill when warranted. Add this to his love of combat against a strong opponent and his multiple acts of sacrifice, and we have a clear contender to wield Mjölnir. One could argue Goku isn’t the best leader with his gullibility and innocence, but it’s undeniable that he inspires those around him to become better and stronger than they ever thought they could be. He’s far and away the best choice among the top candidates. Goku’s son, Gohan, is nearly as strong as Goku but is held back by his timid nature. Goku’s rival, Vegeta, is disqualified due to his tendency to often do the right thing for selfish or dubious reasons. Goku is the perfect balance between Gohan and Vegeta and is easily the worthiest in this universe.
Winner: Goku
Harry Potter
In researching this topic, one thing became very clear regarding the Harry Potter universe: none of the children were worthy enough. Not Harry, Ron, Hermione, or even Neville. Why? They’re just too young and still have growing to do. Maybe one of them would be worthy once they’re older, but not as we see them at the end of the books. So, who would be worthy? For starters, not Dumbledore. He proved himself unworthy the moment he looked upon Tom Riddle’s ring and decided to try and use the Resurrection Stone, cursing himself in the process. And Snape? He’s a spy, not a warrior king, and even he would admit to that. That leaves perhaps the wisest, fiercest, and noblest character in this franchise: Minerva McGonagall. Where both Dumbledore and Snape willingly put children in danger multiple times for the greater good, McGonagall always tries to be the voice of reason at every turn, reminding others that they’re teachers with a responsibility to protect the children. It’s a simple concept that almost every other adult in this universe seems incapable of grasping. Given her unbending will, strong leadership, and incredible dueling skills, McGonagall would absolutely be judged worthy by Mjölnir. Just pray you don’t get detention from her.
Winner: Minerva McGonagall
Lord of the Rings
To begin, it’s clear that Frodo Baggins isn’t worthy by the end of his journey. He’s been broken and corrupted beyond belief by the One Ring. I doubt he’d ever want to wield a weapon as powerful as Mjölnir after all that. As for who would be worthy, Aragorn certainly fits the bill of a wise and self-sacrificing warrior-king, especially with him leading a likely suicide mission to the Black Gate to open a path for Frodo through Mordor. Still, I think there’s one other just as worthy as him: Samwise Gamgee. Sam is always loyal to Frodo, always empathetic to the burden Frodo carries, and is more than willing to die for the mission they are on. But what about the warrior’s spirit? Sam may not be a warrior by trade, but he did something nobody else on Middle Earth has ever done when he wounded the dreaded spider Shelob in combat to save Frodo. To be honest, both of these incredible characters are worthy, but if I’m choosing only one, I have to give it to Sam by the slimmest of margins.
Winner: Samwise Gamgee
Star Trek
With over fifty years of content, Star Trek provides us with a plethora of possible characters for this discussion. Picard is definitely on the list over Kirk, what with the latter’s more cavalier actions. While Picard tries to avoid unnecessary killing, he’s shown he has plenty of will and determination to do what he must, so this isn’t an issue to me. (There are FOUR lights!) I’d say Spock is a better bet over Riker, given Riker arguably remained as Picard’s right hand far longer than he should have. One could argue Data might be worthy since him lifting Mjölnir is basically the same as Vision, but I still feel like that would be a bit cheap. That leaves us with two elite Starfleet officers, one known for uncompromising morality and the other for undeniable logic. This difference is precisely why Picard would be judged worthy over Spock. While logic is invaluable in so many instances, the logical decision is not always the right and just decision. Picard's sense of morality makes him an incredible leader, one who would not default to mere logic if faced with an impossible decision as king of Asgard. Add this to Picard’s masterful dealings with Q, a cosmic being who puts humanity on trial for sins of the past, and the answer is clear. In the Star Trek universe, Picard has maneuvered himself into position as the worthiest.
Winner: Jean-Luc Picard
Disney
Possibly the most sprawling and varied universe on this list, Disney has been creating content across multiple mediums for nearly a century. To help narrow the scope of this decision, I’ll choose among characters from official feature-length films released by Walt Disney Animation Studios. To me, there are three contenders: Mulan, Hercules, and Queen Elsa. While Mulan lacks the magic of the other two, she literally went to war for her father, impersonating a soldier to save his life and preserve the family honor. Plus, her kill count. Holy crap, her kill count! Yeah, she definitely has the heart of a warrior. As for Hercules, nobody can deny his combat prowess, but his greatest moment was when he swam through the river of death to recover the soul of the woman he loved, thus restoring his godhood. Then again, would the son of Zeus wish to rule Asgard and the Norse gods? Debatable. Finally, Elsa earns her place largely due to her actions in Frozen II, where she truly comes into her own. Not only does she confront powerful elemental forces to protect her people but she also displays uncommon wisdom in looking past the obvious to find the root cause of an ancient curse. Once her quest is done, she abdicates the throne to her younger sister, knowing she will be needed elsewhere. It’s a very tough call between these three, but I’ll give the edge to Elsa because of her established leadership experience.
Winner: Queen Elsa
Star Wars
Finally, we come to probably my favorite universe of them all. As the Galaxy Far, Far Away has expanded over the years, it’s transitioned from clear morality tales of good and evil to stories featuring more nuanced, flawed, and complex characters. This makes for an interesting time in judging the worthiness of various characters. Right off the bat, most of the Jedi are disqualified for various reasons. Luke still fears the Dark Side to a crippling degree, shown in his actions that drove Ben Solo away. Leia, for all her strong leadership, tends to manipulate those around her, even if for the greater good, as she did with Poe during The Last Jedi. Obi-Wan is an incredible warrior but passed on two chances to end Darth Vader’s life and spare the galaxy from his fury. Still, two Jedi have been able to confront and overcome their shortcomings in ways that bring them close to worthiness – Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda. If Qui-Gon had lived longer, he’d have taken the title easily, but he died before he could prove just how worthy he was. That leaves Yoda, the Jedi who secretly became Qui-Gon’s successor in his devotion to the Living Force. Some accuse Yoda of running away after the rise of the Empire, but I view this as a wise action, knowing he had to bide his time for a chance to eventually stop the Empire. Despite his failures during the Old Republic era, Yoda is definitely the worthiest Jedi.
But what about non-Jedi characters? There are some interesting candidates, such as Bail Organa and Chirrut Îmwe, but I think the best candidate is one of the newest characters in the franchise – Din Djarin, the Mandalorian. There is no question about his capabilities as a warrior – he describes weapons as his religion. He’s also incredibly self-sacrificing, especially toward his adopted son, Grogu. He’s shown great leadership and an ability to inspire those around him to greater heights. I suspect we will see more of this side of him now that he owns the Darksaber, a symbol of leadership among Mandalorians. His only possible drawback seems to be his dogmatic adherence to The Way, though we’ve seen chips in this armor during critical moments. He has twice disobeyed his credo and removed his helmet for the greater good, showing an ability to learn and grow. We still have much to learn about Djarin, as his story is still unfolding, but I consider him a strong candidate. In the end, he may even overtake Yoda in worthiness, but until that day, I have to give it to the wise old Jedi master.
Winner: Master Yoda
And that’s going to do it for this blog post. I hope my musings were of some help to my fellow authors and the potential worthiness of their own characters. What did you think? Did you enjoy this sort of speculation? I realize this is a topic that could be revisited in the future with a new set of universes to explore, so please let me know if you’d want to see that and what other franchises I should look into. Feel free to comment or reach out if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!